Ireton students gain new perspective on Syria

By MADDY MCDADE |
Student Correspondent

4/04/18

Honey Al Sayed speaks about her experiences in Syria to students at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria. ALEX TUGBANG | COURTESY

More than 100 students filed into the Bishop Ireton High School auditorium
in Alexandria to hear Honey Al Sayed speak about her experiences and her
perspective on Syria March 15. Al Sayed was the host of a popular national
radio show in Syria before the Syrian uprising broke out. Al Sayed’s show had
many of the typical elements of popular radio shows, but she worked also to
empower her listeners by supporting women’s education, bilingualism, and
working to bridge the gap between Syrians and Westerners.

But when the Syrian government began to pressure her to change
elements of her show in early 2012, either deemed too Western or otherwise
against the image the government wanted to promote, she decided to relocate to
the United States. While in the United States, Al Sayed has worked as an
adjunct professor at Georgetown University, co-founded the independent
nonprofit online radio station, SouriaLi, and now works as an independent creative
consultant.

Ireton extended an invitation for
Al Sayed to talk to students who are taking classes in Government, AP
Human Geography, and Journalism, or those who are a part of Model United
Nations, so that they could begin a dialogue between these students’
perspectives on Syria and the reality of Syria today.

During her talk, Al Sayed discussed how there is a one-way flow
of information between the U.S. and Syria, the narratives about Syria that
exist in the West, and how individuals can make a difference in advancing peace
building. In her speech, Al Sayed made it clear that there is no way to make
statements that are “blanket to the Arab world, to Syria, or to the U.S.,”
because every person’s experience is different. As Al Sayed explained, in Syria
there is a one-way flow of information from the West, which influences Syrian
culture due to their exposure to Hollywood movies and American music. While
Syrians are aware of American culture, the average American cannot name one
Syrian musician or movie star; a two-way flow of information between these
nations is necessary to help bridge the gap between them. Al Sayed also discussed
how with a two-way flow of information, the narratives on Syrians can be
corrected, because Syrians are not just statistics or refugees searching for
asylum; at their core they are people, and it is necessary to “put a human face
to this conflict.”

Due to Al Sayed’s unique
position as a media specialist through her extensive career, she pointed out
how important it is that everyone uses their voice to help forge a cultural
dialogue, whether that be through social media, radio or beyond. There are
millions of Syrian stories to be shared, and to spread awareness of the Syrian
experience, these stories need to be shared to “humanize all the data” that is
shown constantly in media coverage of the Syrian conflict.

After Al Sayed’s talk, the students were all invited to have a
dialogue with her, and many of the students asked insightful questions. One
question was what can students do to help to bring a two-way flow of
information between the Arab world and the Western world. Al Sayed answered
that students can share positive media about global regions that may have an
incorrect negative image in traditional media, and the students should use their
voices to speak out. All in all, Al Sayed’s visit to Ireton helped open
students’ perspectives about Syria and brought a greater spirit of inclusivity
to the school.